Earlier today, the New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said his cabinet would not decide on whether to formally recognise Palestine as a state for some weeks. Luxon’s announcement drew criticism from advocacy groups labelling his position as weak.
For more on this issue, see; New Zealand PM Luxon Labelled as Weak and Cowardly After Delaying Decision on Palestine.
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The New Zealand Cabinet will today consider whether to formally recognise Palestine as a state – and Palestinian rights advocacy group Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) urges the Government to listen to the views of a vast majority of New Zealanders.
The PSNA anticipates Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, will get instructions from Cabinet on Monday to increase pressure on Israel.
The United Nations General Assembly High Level Leaders Debate starts in New York next Tuesday.
PSNA Co-Chair, John Minto says the government has to have listened to the voice of the people who marched for sanctions against Israel, in Auckland (on Saturday September 13).
“With only limited time to organize, and disruption caused by having to change from the route over the Harbour Bridge at the last moment, 25,000 turned out to object to the government’s passive, and effectively pro-Israel, policies,” John Minto said.
“It’s a turn-out that’s been building, now rapidly, in our protests around the country over the past two years.
“New Zealanders are nearly two to one in favour of sanctions against Israel. Support for accountabilities will have increased significantly since then as Israel’s depravity and cruelty has shown no bounds.”
Minto says foreign minister Peters will be attending potentially one of the most important debates in United Nations history next week.
“The General Assembly has already begun, and on Friday, New Zealand voted along with 141 other countries, for a state of Palestine to be created through Israeli withdrawal from the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” John Minto said. “There were only ten votes against, predictably the US and Israel, but a concerning five Pasifika states voted against Palestine as well.”
According to Minto Israel has already made it clear that it has no intention to permit a Palestinian state to emerge, “nor compromise its apartheid system, by allowing equal democratic rights to Palestinians who live under its control and inside its present borders.”
Minto said in announcing its position on Palestine, the government will be sensitive to its reputation in Arab countries.
“Israel has just bombed Qatar, to kill off the prospect of a Hamas agreement on hostage releases. Qatar is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which is led by Saudi Arabia.
“Peters’ cabinet colleague, Todd McClay is in Saudi Arabia this week to talk trade. McClay will not be wanting to explain to the Saudis, face to face, why Peters was in New York at the same time telling the world about Israel’s so called right to defend itself.”
Australia, Canada, France, United Kingdom and other nations have already demanded a ceasefire to hostilities in Palestine’s occupied territories and for Israel to cease the apparent genocide being committed in Gaza.
Minto said: “So far, the UN emphasis has been on two-state outcomes, and how to get rid of Hamas. But the world debate is moving strongly to sanctions.
“Now is the time to move past idle rhetoric, and deliver sanctions, which are the only persuasion Israel will concede to,” John Minto said.
